22
MADDIE
I was certifiable.
I had to be. It was the only explanation I had for what was going on inside of me. Adam had just confessed that he had been watching me in the mornings. Not that it was a surprise since I already had my suspicions.
No, the real shocker came when the butterflies in my stomach decided to take flight at his words. I understood that any normal person's reaction would've been to feel uneasy or at least some level of discomfort.
My brain knew that logic. But my heart…that little traitor didn't. It had bounced around excitedly at the mere thought of moving him with my dancing. Because dance was art and art was supposed to evoke strong feelings in whoever witnessed it.
"Maddie, I'm sorry."
His voice sounded from across the room. I spun around slowly. Adam was standing inside the arched entryway that separated the kitchen and the living room where I currently found myself in.
"Watching you was a rude invasion of your privacy." That deep gritty voice sounded as tortured as the look on his face .
All I wanted to do was go to him, wrap my arms around his neck and tell him that I didn't flee the table because of what he said but rather because of the strong emotions swirling inside of me. This all-consuming hunger to learn more about him and to find out what his kiss tasted like.
Which just proved I was completely batshit crazy.
"Please say something?" It was his broken plea that finally pulled me from my stupor.
I dug my heels in to keep myself from rushing over to him. Sucking in a deep breath, I fidgeted with the hem of my shirt; searching for the right words to say. "It's not a private beach. I've always known someone was bound to see me."
Those eyes of his studied me so intensely, it made my toes curl. He took one step, then another and another until he was close enough to touch. Balling my hands into tight fists at my side, I stopped myself from doing just that.
"You knew?"
I dragged my tongue over my suddenly dry lips. "Not for sure, but I had a feeling. You were there awfully fast after I fell."
Adam cocked his head and arched an eyebrow. "And still you showed up every morning without fail?" The seriousness in his stare had warmth spreading through my veins with the speed of a wildfire. "You wanted me to see?"
It was more of an observation than a question. He wasn't wrong. Maybe I hadn't put a conscious thought to it, but somewhere in the very back of my mind I knew he'd see me, and I might have wanted to perform… for him .
In front of me, Adam had gone completely still save for his gaze rapidly bouncing between my eyes. He reminded me of a wild animal finally crawling out of his hiding spot. One wrong move and he'd retreat.
"Maybe…" the word came out scratchy. Clearing my throat, I tried again. "Maybe I like having your eyes on me."
He squeezed his lids together like my words had pained him somehow. I itched to reach for him. To drag my fingers over his short beard and up to smooth out the deep lines marring his forehead.
"Adam."
When he parted his lids and captured my gaze with his, I almost gasped at the sheer determination burning in his eyes. There was no mistaking that he'd made a decision and was about to act on it.
My breath caught in my throat when he lifted his hand and slowly, oh so slowly, trailed his fingers along my jaw. Dark, dark eyes carefully trekking the movement of his thumb scraping over my mouth.
Delicious shivers worked their way down my spine while tiny bumps popped up all over my skin.
My lips parted on their own, a tiny puff of air escaping almost immediately.
The urge to close my eyes and just feel was so strong, so intense, giving into it would have been so easy.
But if I did that, I would've missed the way Adam's tongue darted out and swept across his lip.
Almost like he couldn't wait to taste .
I wanted that. Wanted his mouth on mine. His hands in my hair and my body pressed tightly to his. I wanted it so badly, I felt the tug of that need low in my belly. And then as if he could read my thoughts that big frame of his steadily leaned forward or maybe it was me moving closer.
I didn't care which was which. Not when I was so close to finally finding out what it would feel like to kiss this man. This man that'd plagued my every thought and dirtiest dreams for over three weeks.
His hand, rough and calloused, cradled my cheek. My lids instantly fluttered closed at the contact. A soft moan sounded from somewhere at the back of my throat when Adam's hot breath blew over my lips.
I was so ready for this.
Until the shrill sound of a phone coming to life rudely interrupted what could have been a wonderful moment. I wanted to curse. Adam did. One profanity after the other rolled off his tongue. He dropped his hand and with a few backward steps, he put unwanted distance between us.
Somewhere in the living room, the phone was still ringing. I wanted to grab it and smash it to the floor and possibly stomp on it too. Not that we could go back. The moment was gone, and judging by the look on Adam's face, it was going to stay gone.
When the generic ringtone finally died down, silence filled the room. And for the first time since I'd arrived, I felt awkward. A quick glance at Adam confirmed he felt it too. His hands were shoved into his pockets while he tried to stare a hole in the floor.
A complete and utter miserable feeling descended over me. This sudden uneasiness that hung thickly in the air was the last thing I wanted. Honestly, if I could backtrack, I would.
I turned my attention to the couch where Sheldon was curled up into a little ball, happily snoring away. He wasn't going to be happy with me for disrupting his sleep, but he would just have to suck it up because there was no way I could stay.
Smoothing my hands over my hips, I opened my mouth to tell Adam I was leaving when our discarded dinner caught my eye. He'd worked hard on that meal; the least I could do was clean up.
Avoiding Adam, I slipped into the kitchen and started gathering the plates all the while cursing the stupid manners my mom had instilled in me.
"What are you doing?"
He might've spoken softly, but I still jumped at the suddenness of his voice. For such a big man, he sure had light feet. Or maybe I was too busy sulking to hear him approach.
My eyes locked onto his. There was so much emotion swirling in those dark irises; pity I couldn't decipher even one. "I'm clearing the table."
His brows pulled together. "Why?"
I couldn't stand the way he was looking at me. It made me feel hot all over, but it also held so much warning. Focusing on the plates in my hands, I spat out the words as quickly as I could. "I think I should go, but leaving you with all these dishes feels wrong."
He startled me once again when without warning he pulled the plates from my hand and shoved them onto the table. "Maddie, I—" The damn phone started up again. I shut my eyes and dropped my chin to my chest.
I didn't believe in fate and the universe giving us signs but damn if this one didn't have bright neon lights flashing around it.
"Shit," Adam muttered. "Let me just turn the ringer off."
He started to move, I quickly opened my eyes and gripped his forearm. His skin was warm and the muscles beneath my fingers jumped. "It's okay. I really should get going."
Adam parted his lips but seemed to think better of what he wanted to say and snapped them shut again. Nodding stiffly, he said, "All right, if that's what you want."
Talk about being all over the place. I was the one who wanted to go and yet when he didn't ask me to stay, my heart filled with disappointment. No wonder women were always being accused of not knowing what we wanted.
Because clearly, we didn't.
"Thank you for dinner." I removed my hand from his arm, and his gaze immediately shot to the spot I'd been holding on to. Deep lines marred his forehead as he studied it with the intensity of someone solving a difficult math problem .
Turning my back to him, I gathered the dishes once more. I didn't get very far before his raspy, "Leave it," rolled over my skin. Everything about this night, this man, rattled my bones. Perching my fingers atop the table, I kept my gaze in front of me.
"Are you sure?" I asked. "I don't mind—"
"I'll do it." He didn't sound angry, but he definitely wasn't happy either.
With a quick jerk of my head, I spun around. "Okay." Taking a wide step around him, I snatched Sheldon from the couch and headed to the front door. My heart sank a little when our goodbye was almost as awkward as our first meeting.
My mind spun in a million different directions and by the time I was safely tucked into my bed, there was only one thing I was certain of.
Adam whatever-the-heck-his-last-name-was was messing with my head and I didn't like it.